This is my goddaughter, Maria. Emmett and I went to Florida last week to see Maria, her brother Henry, and their mother, Maresi. Also joining us were my cousin Katherine and her daughter Julia. We went to the beach one day. It was a little too cold for a beach day, but we wanted to let the kids stick their toes in the sand, and those of us not from a tropical place needed a little sand and ocean time.

Maria found the two shells she's holding in the picture, which she loved and played with the whole time we were there. When we left, she set them on the towel next to her to get ready to leave. As she stood up, Maresi handed them to her so she could take them home with her. She lagged behind a second, looking at them. Then she leaned over, gently set them down on the sand, signed "thank you" to them, and hurried to catch up with Maresi.